The Florida Senate

252.87  Supplemental state reporting requirements.--

(1)  The Legislature intends the reporting requirements of ss. 311 and 312 of EPCRA to apply to both the manufacturing sector and the nonmanufacturing sector, as those terms are used in federal regulations adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and implemented in its Hazard Communications Standard. The Legislature also intends that these reporting requirements apply to governmental bodies.

(2)  The state reporting requirements set forth in this section are supplemental to the federal reporting requirements of EPCRA. Nothing in this section shall be construed to provide an exemption from or otherwise conflict with the requirements of EPCRA.

(3)  As used in this section,

(a)  "Governmental body" means the state, its political subdivisions, and all agencies and instrumentalities thereof.

(b)  "Employer" means:

1.  Any governmental body; and

2.  Any employer subject to the Hazard Communication Standard adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as codified in 29 C.F.R. s. 1910.1200, as amended by 52 F.R. 31,852, August 24, 1987. The term specifically includes those employers subject to this standard in the manufacturing sector and the nonmanufacturing sector.

(4)  Each employer that owns or operates a facility in this state at which hazardous materials are present in quantities at or above the thresholds established under ss. 311(b) and 312(b) of EPCRA shall comply with the reporting requirements of ss. 311 and 312 of EPCRA. Such employer shall also be responsible for notifying the department, the local emergency planning committee, and the local fire department in writing within 30 days if there is a discontinuance or abandonment of the employer's business activities that could affect any stored hazardous materials.

(5)  Compliance with any reporting requirements of EPCRA on or before the date specified for compliance under EPCRA or federal regulations adopted thereunder, if any, shall constitute compliance with the requirements of this section.

(6)  Governmental bodies are exempt from the fees provided in s. 252.85(1).

(7)  The department shall avoid duplicative reporting requirements by utilizing the reporting requirements of other state agencies that regulate hazardous materials to the extent feasible and shall request the information authorized under EPCRA. With the advice and consent of the State Emergency Response Commission for Hazardous Materials, the department may require by rule that the maximum daily amount entry on the chemical inventory report required under s. 312 of EPCRA provide for reporting in estimated actual amounts. The department may also require by rule an entry for the Federal Employer Identification Number on this report. To the extent feasible, the department shall encourage and accept required information in a form initiated through electronic data interchange and shall describe by rule the format, manner of execution, and method of electronic transmission necessary for using such form. To the extent feasible, the Department of Financial Services, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Public Service Commission, the Department of Revenue, the ¹Department of Labor and Employment Security, and other state agencies which regulate hazardous materials shall coordinate with the department in order to avoid duplicative requirements contained in each agency's respective reporting or registration forms. The other state agencies that inspect facilities storing hazardous materials and suppliers and distributors of covered substances shall assist the department in informing the facility owner or operator of the requirements of this part. The department shall provide the other state agencies with the necessary information and materials to inform the owners and operators of the requirements of this part to ensure that the budgets of these agencies are not adversely affected.

History.--s. 1, ch. 88-200; s. 7, ch. 91-305; s. 6, ch. 92-150; s. 63, ch. 94-356; s. 2, ch. 2000-317; s. 271, ch. 2003-261.

¹Note.--Section 69, ch. 2002-194, repealed s. 20.171, which created the Department of Labor and Employment Security.